A Halloween to Remember
by iluvjames7
Summary: There's a new halloween tradition at Hogwarts...will it make history in more ways than one?


Another Ron/Hermione Story!!! Original though!!!!  
  
This year, the seventh year class of Hogwarts decided they would make instill a new tradition upon Hogwarts for Halloween, as one of the many ways they would leave their mark upon the future of their school: Jack-o- Lantern carving. Thanks of course, to the Head Boy and Girl, Hermione Granger and Ernie MacMillan. They introduced the idea as optional, but got a petition passed and approved by Dumbledore stating the teachers could only assign limited homework on October 30th. In their extra time, students could see Hagrid, who agreed to grow a whole three patches of pumpkins, to pick up their sculpture form. In common rooms, prefects would organize tables, and the whole house would be invited to join in the fun. However, it was decided that all carving should be done by hand, the muggle way, instead of simply performing the carving charm.  
Most everyone was excited about the new tradition, whether it was because of the actual pumpkin carving itself, or just the fact they would have less workload that night. Everyone, it seemed, except Ron.  
"Oh, come off it, Ron, it's just pumpkin carving! Nothing wrong with that, is there?" asked Harry during another one of Ron's rants, complaining about the new event.  
"But what's the point of it? Bit stupid really, punching holes in an innocent fruit's skin!"  
"Oh, Ron! Just go along with it okay? Ernie suggested it, and he's really excited, apparently he has plans to organize the Hufflepuffs so that they'll all carve the faces of different notable figures in Hufflepuff history on their pumpkins!"  
"Oh, so just because this is perfect Ernie's idea, it's brilliant, eh? I see how it is. If you would only have told me it was Ernie's idea earlier, I would have dropped down on my knees and praised it till Neville gets an "E" in potions!" said Ron sarcastically.  
"Oh, for goodness sakes, Ron! It's really not a big deal, okay? Listen, honey, I've got to go to the kitchens to borrow some carving knives, I'll meet you back in the common room later!" and Hermione gave Ron a quick peck on the cheek to let him know it was okay, and hurried off. Ron, of course, had been rid of any anger or frustration with Hermione as soon as she said the word "honey" and gave him one of her great smiles. Ron was as weak and pliable as play-doh when it came to Hermione's smiles.  
  
Harry just watched the whole thing, completely amused. Even now that Hermione and Ron had been going out for over a year now, and had confessed their already existing mad loving desire for each other, they still fought as always. This third wheel didn't feel jealous of them being together at all, he had sensed their chemistry long ago. Or maybe he was too preoccupied with Ginny to have time to feel jealous.  
The rest of the night though, in the common room, neither Ron nor Hermione were there. This was almost to be expected, nearly every chance they got, the two were out on a stroll by the lake, or looking at stars together in the astronomy tower (they probably tended to look more at each other though, rather than the actual sky).  
On the eve of Halloween, Hermione and Ernie stood next to Hagrid's hut, observing and critiquing the pumpkin picking process. They were just taking notes on the possible need for lifting charms for the first years, when Ron started giving Hermione his lost look he seemed to wear now whenever she wasn't right next to him. Hermione was as soft as a puffskein when it came to this look of his. She quickly told Ernie she thought everything was going perfectly smoothly, and there was no need for more note-taking (meanwhile the older kids were summoning the more perfect pumpkins from the younger ones, the slytherins were trying to discreetly charm each one back to it's unripe green color, and peeves had decided to join in the fun with introducing the game of "Quidditch with pumpkins for bludgers" to a bunch of students), and joined Ron in the pumpkin patch. Ron's expression suddenly brightened and, his arm linked in hers as they wandered through the rows of the pumpkins, asked her which one she liked best.  
"Ron! It's bad enough I do your homework for you, can't you even choose your own pumpkin? I'll choose what I like for my own pumpkin, you decide which one you like best!"  
Ron simply gave her a pleading look.  
"Well, all right, I suppose a roundish one, not too big, not too small, with a sort of short, speckly stem? Oh, and the light orange color, like your hair," said Hermione, ruffling his hair and kissing him three times on his left cheek. Once Ron found a pumpkin suiting Hermione's description, he kissed her and said he had to go finish homework. Hermione gave him a look plainly asking, Should I come too? , but Ron pointed at Ernie, remarking that he thought just this once, maybe she should go help the head boy.  
Hermione thought this a bit odd, Ron choosing to leave her side, but she shrugged it off and resumed her duties.  
By the time the Gryffindors had returned to their common room, tables spread with old Daily Prophets were scattered upon new tables. The knives Hermione had gotten out were spread out for each "station" along with a permanent marker for marking a design to follow. The students assembled at the stations, setting their pumpkins down on the tables and began discussing what sort of face they should put on their pumpkin. Harry and Ginny set their tables down, but took advantage of the fact that the couches were now empty since everyone was standing in front of a table and began snogging.  
It turned out Hermione didn't have time to pick out her pumpkin herself, which was all very well, since she was busy helping other people. She was wondering, however, where Ron was. She figured he'd turn up later however, he probably just fell asleep doing Divination again. She did ask Harry to go up to the dormitory and check on him for her though (which he did grudgingly, he was enjoying himself). When he came back down, he said that Ron had fallen asleep, but not to wake him, but Hermione didn't notice the twitch in Harry's right ear that hinted he was lying.  
Once all the carving was done, the prefects helped Hermione pass out matches and candles to the students, to light up their pumpkins. She turned the lights out first (charms were on the matches so that even fumbling around in the dark, it would be difficult to burn themselves), and instructed everyone to light their candles on the count of three, for dramatic effect.  
"All right then, one.....two......three!" exclaimed Hermione, and all the jack-o-lanterns came to life, including one right in front of her with the words:  
HERMIONE WILL YOU MARRY ME? Carved in elaborate letters. She looked up and could make out Ron, with his freckles fluttering on his face in the shadows of the candlelight, eyes expectant, and finger pointing to the ruby ring resting on the stem. She stared at everything for a few seconds, then looked up at his face again, which, sure enough, now had that pleading expression again from the pumpkin patch, and screamed "YES! YES!!! I LOVE YOU RONALD WEASLEY!!!!" as they hugged and kissed, Ron's face getting wet from Hermione's tears of joy. 


End file.
